This Robotics Startup Just Emerged From Stealth With $300 Million to Create an ‘AI Scientist’

A new AI startup created by OpenAI and Google DeepMind alumni has emerged from stealth with $300 million in funding from some of the biggest names in tech. The company, called Periodic Labs, says it is fully dedicated to accelerating scientific discovery with AI. According to a New York Times story on Tuesday, the company was cofounded by Liam Fedus, one of the original creators of ChatGPT, and Ekin Dogus Cubuk, who led some of Google DeepMind’s materials and chemistry research teams. Cubuk’s team discovered 2.2 million new inorganic crystals, according to TechCrunch. The founders met while they were both working at Google, and connected over a shared desire to use large language models (LLMs) to advance the study of physics and chemistry. Unlike their former employers, both of which have in recent weeks released products that use AI to generate short-form videos, the founders say that Periodic Labs will focus entirely on using AI to test physics simulations. To do this, Periodic will open up a laboratory in Menlo Park that uses robots, powered by large language models, to run scientific experiments. According to Periodic’s website, their “goal is to create an AI scientist.” Robots will handle the same kind of physical experiments conducted by human scientists, but at a scale that’s humanly impossible. In an example given by the Times, an AI scientist “might run thousands of experiments in which it combines various powders and other materials in an effort to create a new kind of superconductor, which could be used to build all sorts of new electrical equipment.” Unlike humans, robots don’t need to eat, sleep, or take breaks from work, so they can run experiments for much longer. Eventually, according to the Times, the robots could learn which factors lead to success when trying to prove a hypothesis, and use that knowledge to improve their work. The founders think this process could result in breakthroughs for multiple industries, including semiconductors. That potential was enough for Fedus and Cubuk to raise a $300 million seed fund, led by a16z along with NVIDIA, Jeff Bezos, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, and FIRST Robotics founder Jeff Dean. Over 20 top Silicon Valley researchers have left their jobs to join Periodic. In a video interview with a16z released alongside news of the fundraise, Fedus said that Periodic’s ideal customers are engineers and researchers in advanced industries like space, defence, and semiconductors. These engineers and researchers “don’t really have particularly good tools,” said Fedus, “and that is our opportunity. These are massive R&D budgets.” BY BEN SHERRY @BENLUCASSHERRY